Sticky Wall Apple Tree

Contact paper is one of those art supplies that we always keep on hand. It’s awesome for using with glitter and is a ton of fun stuck up on a wall, plus if you pick it up on the roll at the dollar store like we do, it’s really inexpensive too. Knowing that it can be found here in Kuwait (my team of first grade teachers used it all the time during our first stint here), I didn’t pack any with us from Canada. So imagine my dismay when I found myself amidst a giant back to school / office supply display the other night with not a single roll of clear contact paper in sight {the horror!} The lovely lady working in the section did turn me onto something else, however, and in fact, I think it’s even better than the rolls we usually get. When she first handed me the package, I was skeptical. Clear book covers? For real? But then I realized a few things… 1) They are essentially just pre-cut sheets of contact paper. 2) They are inexpensive and sold in packs of 10, which covers a lot of future projects. 3) They come flat so I’d have to wrestle with tightly rolled contact paper no longer – score {ecause we all know how annoying that is}!

I added a pack to our cart, and later that night drew an outline of an apple treat using Sharpies on the non-sticky side.

I peeled off the protective layer, stuck the contact paper apple tree up onto a wall with some washi tape, and set out these goodies nearby – yellow pompoms in varying sizes, tissue paper leaf shapes, and strips of crumpled brown paper.

The next morning, Gracen found her invitation to create almost immediately after waking up.

She let out a little squeal and with big eyes exclaimed, ‘Mama, I found somefing!!!’

This is how Grae’s tree looked after the first day or two of creating… A great start, right? I personally love the branches she added up in the leafy part of the tree. After adding them, she turned to me and explained that tops of trees aren’t just leaves – ‘if you look closely, you can see branches up there too!’ After that, her sticky apple tree just sat there. On the wall. Without being touched for days and days.

I nearly took it down several times, but I’m so glad I didn’t. After sitting there basically begging to be finished for more than two weeks time, Gracen excitedly asked me if I would like to finish making her tree with her this morning . So that’s what we did – we finished off the tree together, talking about all things apples and fall, until Miss G declared our masterpiece finished.

Amazing! We do this type of large rolled paper scenes for each areiving season, across main wall in play space. Each day we add things that remind us of that welcomed season: balloons in summer, flowers dried from speing, draw pictures, place fabric sparkles photos of loved ones dried Autumn Leaves! Somehow with the chaos from our horrifing summer, I’d forgotten about our Tradition–thank you so much for this inspiring share! I might get some acorns from the bottoms of our trees on a nature walk this week! Many thanks again! Jeanine H